Tiger Tracker: Woods fires 3-under 67

Tiger Tracker: Woods fires 3-under 67

Tiger Tracker: Woods fires 3-under 67

John Daly walks on the first hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.

Jeev Milkha Singh acknowledges the crowd on the second hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Barry Lane hits the opening tee shot during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Golf fans watch the play on the first hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.

John Daly watches his shot from the 1st tee during his first round of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

David Duval lines up a putt during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Ian Poulter reacts after a missed putt on the fourth during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Adam Scott hits a tee shot on the fifth during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Tiger Woods watches his tee shot at the par-3 1st hole at Royal Lytham & St. Annes during the first round of the Open Championship.

Ernie Els is one of three players to win a major with the anchored putter, coming last July at the Open Championship.

Tiger Woods lines up his putt on the 2nd green during his first round of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Defending champion Darren Clarke plays a shot from the rough on the 2nd hole during his first round of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Amateur golfer Alan Dunbar jumps to get a better view on the 2nd hole during his first round at the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Sergio Garcia drops his club as he watches his shot from the 14th tee during his first round of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

Tiger Woods watches his shot from the 7th tee during his first round of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Tiger Woods watches his shot from the 14th tee during his first round of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

Zach Johnson plays out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Tiger Woods takes a swing on the 14th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Tiger Woods plays a shot from the rough on the 15th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Rory McIlroy watches his shot from the 2nd fairway during his first round at the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

Jason Blue poses with a golf glove given to him by Rory McIlroy after he was struck by his golf ball on the 15th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Phil Mickelson searches for his golf ball on the 8th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Phil Mickelson hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Zach Johnson hits a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on Saturday, June 1, 1996, during the final round of the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. Woods went on to win the individual title. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

This Nov. 10, 2010, file photo shows Tiger Woods at a news conference after his round at the Australian Masters Pro-Am event at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. Woods believes he finally is ready to move on after a self-destructive year that cost him his marriage, his mystique, millions in endorsements and, lastly, his No. 1 ranking. What remains are relationships to repair, along with his golf game.

Tiger Woods shakes hands with Jack Nicklaus after receiving the Jack Nicklaus College Player of the Year award in ceremonies at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, Sunday, June 2, 1996.

Tiger Woods holds his trophy aloft after winning the Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the first win of his pro career.

Masters champion Tiger Woods holds a replica of the Masters Trophy after winning the tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Sunday, April 13, 1997.

Tiger Woods celebrates as he wins the 1997 Masters with a record-breaking 18-under-par performance at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Sunday, April 13, 1997. (AP Photo/Curtis Compton)

Tiger Woods celebrates after winning the 100th U.S. Open Golf Championship at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., Sunday, June 18, 2000. Finishing at 12 under par, Woods topped second-place Ernie Els by a remarkable 15 shots.

Tiger Woods waves to fans after he won the 81st PGA Championship at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill., on Sunday, Aug. 15, 1999. Woods shot an 11-under 277, beating Sergio Garcia, of Spain, by one stroke. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser)

Tiger Woods, right, of the United States, holds the trophy as he makes his winner’s speech outside the clubhouse at the end of the final day of the British Open Golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Sunday, July 23, 2000. At center is South Africa’s Ernie Els and at left Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn the joint second-place finishers. (AP Photo/Adam Butler)

In this Aug. 20, 2000 photo, Tiger Woods points to his ball as it drops for birdie on the first hole of a three-hole playoff against Bob May at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

Tiger Woods reacts on the 18th hole after winning the 2001 Masters by two strokes over David Duval at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. The win was Woods’ fourth straight major title, completing what many would call the “Tiger Slam.”

Tiger Woods, left, receives the 2002 Masters Green Jacket from Augusta National Golf Club chairman William W. “Hootie” Johnson. The win was Woods’ third Masters title and second in a row.

Tiger Woods gestures as he watches his shot to the 13th hole Sunday, June 16, 2002 at the U.S. Open Golf Championship at the Black Course of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. Woods went on to win by three shots over Phil Mickelson.

Tiger Woods, center, sits with his fiancee Elin Nordegren, left, and his friend Jerry Chang, right, during Stanford’s basketball game against Arizona in this Feb. 7, 2004.

Tiger Woods reacts to winning the 2005 Masters in a playoff with Chris DiMarco on the 18th hole during final-round play at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

Tiger Woods speaks at a press conference with the trophy after winning the 2005 British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Tiger Woods, right, reacts as he walks off the 18th green with his caddie Steve Williams after winning the British Open Golf Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course in Hoylake, England Sunday July 23, 2006. The win was Woods’ first major title since the death of his father, Earl.

Tiger Woods holds up the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 89th PGA Golf Championship at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007. The win was Tiger’s 13th major title.

Tiger Woods holds his left knee after teeing off on the second hole during the fourth round of the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee Tuesday, June 24, 2008, in Utah to repair a torn ligament. Woods went on to win in a playoff over Rocco Mediate.

Tiger Woods reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th green, forcing a playoff against Rocco Mediate during the final round of the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Phil Mickelson, left, winner of the Tour Championship and Tiger Woods, right, winner of the Fed Ex Cup, pose at East Lake Country Club.

Tiger Woods answered questions in a press conference Monday for the first time since his Thanksgiving night accident that led to revelations of multiple extramarital affairs.

Tiger Woods during the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. On a Firestone Country Club course that he has dominated in the past, Woods posted his highest 72-hole score as a professional, including a closing 77 that left him in a tie for 78th place in the 79-man field.

Caddie Steve Williams holds a club as Tiger Woods hits on the driving range during a practice round for the PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods chats with the media after shooting 65 in the first round of The Barclays.

Tiger Woods doffs his cap after holing out for eagle on the 12th hole during Ryder Cup singles. In arguably his most dominant round of 2010, Woods claimed a 4-and-3 win over Francesco Molinari.

Tiger Woods of the U.S. and Steve Williams, caddie to Adam Scott, shake hands on the first tee during the Day 1 Foursome matches at the 2011 Presidents Cup

Tiger Woods of the U.S. celebrates with fans after the U.S. team defeated the International team on the final day of the Presidents Cup.

Tiger Woods celebrates after his birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Chevron World Challenge.

Tiger Woods drops on No. 15 at Augusta National during the second round of the 2013 Masters. A day later, he was assessed a two-stroke penalty for an improper drop.

Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 24 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla. Earnings: $1,116,000

Tiger Woods after his seven-shot win in the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Tiger Woods (center right) and Rory McIlroy (centre left) walk side by side during their exhibition at Mission Hills.

Tiger Woods’ injury suffered on this swing Sunday has his PGA Championship and Ryder Cup status up in the air..

Tiger Woods flashes a smile on Sunday during the Hero World Challenge at Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, FL.

John Daly putts on the 5th green during a practice round for the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Scoreboard staff watch the action during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Francesco Molinari plays an approach shot at the 18th during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Padraig Harrington waits on a green during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Tiger Woods reaches for a golf ball on the practice ground during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Graeme McDowell watches a shot during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Rory McIlroy watches a shot during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Rory McIlroy signs autographs for fans during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Tiger Woods plays a bunker shot on the practice ground as fans look on during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Steve Stricker watches a shot during the third practice round prior to the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

LYTHAM ST. ANNES — Tiger Woods had the field on their collective heels early on Thursday at the 141st Open Championship, carding four birdies in his first seven holes and taking the early lead.

But Woods failed to birdie again after the par-5 7th hole and carded a solid, but not spectacular, 3-under 67 to sit three shots back of early leader Adam Scott (who tied the course record with his 6-under 64).

Woods spent much of the day using iron off the tee – he missed only one fairway on the day, which led to his only bogey on the par-4 15th hole – and obviously playing to a game plan. He also hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

Take a look at how Tiger’s round unfolded, and stay tuned as we keep you up-to-date on the latest happenings at Royal Lytham as the afternoon groups get underway.

• • •

Update #10: 2:10 p.m.

Rory McIlroy finishes his day with a birdie to post a 3-under 67 and will now have the morning round to try and improve that on Friday.

Meanwhile, playing competitor Keegan Bradley struggled coming in and carded a 1-over 71 after getting as low as 2 under earlier in the round.

• • •

Update #9: 12:50 p.m.

With six holes to play, Phil Mickelson needs to do some major work, sitting at 3 over currently and in a tie for 102nd. More concerning for Lefty? He is nine shots off Adam Scott’s lead.

After being 1 under thru 4 holes, Mickelson picked up double at the par-5 7th and bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9 to make the turn in 3-over 37. He picked up a shot with a birdie at No. 10, but quickly gave that away with a bogey at No. 12.

Mickelson has missed three cuts in his Open Championship career and is headed in that direction again if he doesn’t pick up a couple of shots heading into Friday’s second round.

• • •

Update #8: 12:28 p.m.

Rory McIlroy seems to have learned from a tough time at last year’s Open Championship, sitting at 3 under thru 12 holes thus far on Thursday. Keegan Bradley has matched that 3 under in playing with McIlroy.

The relatively unknown Toshinori Muto is having one the best afternoon rounds, now at 4 under thru 13 holes. Nicolas Colsaerts is also 4 under thru 13.

Other players to keep an eye on (all at 2 under): Steve Stricker, Francesco Molinari, Peter Hanson and Brandt Snedeker.

• • •

Update #7: 10:10 a.m.

It’s been about 30 minutes since Tiger’s round ended and only a couple of players from the afternoon wave are making noise near the top of the leaderboard.

Paul Casey is 3 under thru 8 holes, including a long birdie at No. 4 that left him chuckling. Thomas Aiken is close to wrapping up his round and is 2 under thru 17 holes.

As for the marquee names in the afternoon, Rory McIlroy is even thru 3 holes, Phil Mickelson is 1 under thru 2 holes and Luke Donald is even thru 2 holes.

• • •

No. 18, Par 4, 413 yards

This tough stretch of par-4s has one last challenge for Tiger, with bunkers all over the 18th fairway. Finishing with par would give Tiger a very solid round.

• Off the tee: With the wind starting to pick up – which will create tougher rounds for the afternoon groups – Tiger takes iron again and gives his club a twirl after blasting it right up the middle of the fairway. He missed only one fairway on Thursday, leading to his only bogey thru 17 holes.

• Approach shot: Despite the greenside bunkers on the left, Tiger decides to attack the hole that is tucked on the left and gives himself about 15 feet from under the hole for birdie.

• On the green: Tiger puts perfect pace on the left-to-right birdie attempt, but it runs out to the right and he finishes with another two-putt par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under (thru 18 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Graeme McDowell drops a shot at the 18th and cards a 3-under 67, three shots back of leader Adam Scott.

• • •

No. 17, Par 4, 453 yards

While he is still within three shots of the lead, Tiger will look back at Nos. 8 thru 16 as missed opportunities, with only the bogey at No. 15 not presenting a good birdie chance.

• Off the tee: Tiger takes long iron off the tee and plays a low-liner that runs up the middle of the fairway, leaving himself a mid-iron into the green.

• Approach shot: From 210 yards, Tiger takes 5-iron and puts it right in the middle of the green, giving himself more than 35 feet to the hole.

• On the green: Really looking at a two-putt here, Tiger converts for a solid par at a difficult hole that bit Zach Johnson only a few minutes ago.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under (thru 17 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Lee Westwood finishes with a par and cards a 3-over 73 despite a birdie-birdie start. Playing competitor Bubba Watson also finished with a par to cap off a 3-under 67.

• • •

No. 16, Par 4, 336 yards

Tiger choosing to be a bit more aggressive off the tee cost him on the 15th, finding the long rough for the first time.

• Off the tee: Tiger does take iron off the tee here, leaving it well back, but hits the right side of the fairway and takes the bunkers out of play.

• Approach shot: With wedge in hand from about 120 yards, Tiger hits it about pin-high, but spins it back and will have about 15 feet for birdie from under the hole.

• On the green: Tiger misses another great opportunity to move up the leaderboard, with his right-to-left birdie attempt cuts under the hole and he taps in for par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under (thru 16 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Graeme McDowell nails a long birdie putt on the 16th hole to get back to 4 under, two shots off Adam Scott’s lead. Zach Johnson is now in the clubhouse with a 5-under 65, tied with Paul Lawrie in second place. Ernie Els birdied the 18th to fire a 3-under 67.

• • •

No. 15, Par 4, 462 yards

Tiger is now two back of Adam Scott, who just picked up a bogey at No. 18 to card a 6-under 64.

• Off the tee: Tiger misses his first fairway, using 3-wood and sprays it to the left and into the long rough. He swipes at his tee on his re-coil, frustrated by the swing and result.

• Approach shot: Tiger has little chance of advancing this anywhere near the green, and compounds his mistake with another, with the ball coming out and finding the same type of rough about 120 yards down the fairway.

• Third shot: From about 125 yards, Tiger somehow manages to get it on the green and will have a chance to save a miracle par.

• On the green: Tiger will be happy with this bogey, missing his par putt about a foot to the right. After being in the rough twice, bogey is a good score here.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under (thru 15 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Zach Johnson dropped a shot with a bogey at No. 17, falling back to 5 under and one off the lead.

• • •

No. 14, Par 4, 444 yards

Starting to feel like a broken record here, but Tiger’s par makes on the last six holes added up to about three feet. He’s getting his putts close, but needs one to drop to get it going again.

• Off the tee: Yet another iron in hand and Tiger strikes a pose after hitting yet another fairway, taking it up the left side and leaving himself about 175 yards to the flag.

• Approach shot: Tiger isn’t happy with his shot, but still lands pin high and leaves himself about 25 feet for birdie from right of the hole.

• On the green: Tiger finds the line on this one, but the ball comes to rest about six inches in front of the hole and he taps in for another frustrating par. It’s his seventh-straight par after a birdie at No. 7.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 14 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Zach Johnson has moved to within one shot of the lead, moving to 6 under with a birdie at No. 16. Paul Lawrie caps off a nice round with a birdie at No. 18 to end the day at 5 under, two shots off the current lead. Meanwhile, Jamie Donaldson is in the clubhouse at 2 under after birdies at Nos. 15 and 16.

• • •

No. 13, Par 4, 355 yards

Tiger had 12 putts on the front, but already has six on the back, two-putting for par on the backside’s first three holes. He now trails Adam Scott by three shots after Scott birdied No. 16.

• Off the tee: Another fairway hit here, sending an iron up the left side of the fairway and leaving himself a short iron into the green. He is 8 of 8 in fairways hit thus far on Thursday.

• Approach shot: With a little more than 130 yards left, Tiger takes it about 20 feet past the flag, which he’ll have for birdie.

• On the green: The one-putts have stopped for Tiger, missing this birdie attempt low and he settles for another tap-in par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 13 holes)

• • •

No. 12, Par 3, 198 yards

Yet another birdie miss by a matter of inches there at the 11th, his fourth consecutive par, all of which could have been realistic birdies.

• Off the tee: Tiger can’t really play a typical cut here because of the bunker danger on the left, and instead takes it right at the flag and lands it about 15 feet under the hole.

• On the green: Tiger needs one of these putts to drop to stay in striking distance of the scorching hot Adam Scott, but that doesn’t happen here, with Tiger walking after the putt immediately as the ball dove under the hole. He taps in from about 18 inches for par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 12 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Adam Scott birdies the par-4 15th hole to keep his one-shot lead over Zach Johnson, who just birdied the par-4 14th hole. Bubba Watson bogeys the par-4 13th hole to fall back to 3 under.

• • •

No. 11, Par 5, 598 yards

That is three misses in a row for Tiger, all by inches. He’ll need to take advantage of this par 5 to get back into a share of the lead.

• Off the tee: Tiger takes long iron off the tee and chunks it a bit, putting it in the middle of the fairway and will definitely take three shots to get to the hole.

• Second shot: Tiger has to lay up, but probably keeps it too far back, leaving himself about 165 yards into the green.

• Approach shot: Tiger immediately starts yelling at the ball to bite, and it does, somewhat, coming to rest about 30 feet behind the hole.

• On the green: Now a part of a five-way tie for second at 4 under, Tiger fails to take advantage of the par 5, leaving the birdie attempt about nine inches to the left and he taps in for par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 11 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Bubba Watson, playing two groups in front of Tiger, birdies the 11th after a mammoth drive to get to 4 under, one off the current lead. Graeme McDowell does the same to also get to 4 under. McDowell has four birdies in his past five holes. Meanwhile, Paul Lawrie has birdied Nos. 14 and 15 and Zach Johnson birdied No. 13 to also get to 4 under.

• • •

No. 10, Par 4, 387 yards

Tiger wanted that birdie at No. 9, covering his face with his hand as soon as it slid by on the right. Would have given him an opening-nine 29. Now he’ll get to three holes that can be taken advantage of.

• Off the tee: Tiger takes fairway wood right down the middle of the fairway, setting up another chance to attack.

• Approach shot: Tiger gets some bad luck, rolling into a deep divot in the fairway. He chokes up on a wedge and hammers it, still hitting the green and leaving himself about 20 feet for birdie.

• On the green: Tiger finds the right pace, but the ball settles about six inches to the left of the cup and he settles for a third consecutive par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 10 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Adam Scott rolls in his third consecutive birdie at No. 13 to take the outright lead at 5 under. Zach Johnson has moved to 3 under with a birdie at the par-5 11th. Paul Lawrie also moves to 3 under with a birdie at No. 14.

• • •

No. 9, Par 3, 165 yards

Tiger thought he had that birdie putt at the 8th, but took two putts to get in for only the second time in the opening eight holes.

• Off the tee: Playing the shortest hole on the course, Tiger uses 9-iron and sticks it to about 10 feet under the hole.

• On the green: Tiger plays this putt about an inch too far to the right and settles for a disappointing par, but makes the turn at 4 under and tied with Adam Scott for the lead.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 9 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Adam Scott picks up another birdie, this time sticking his tee ball to about 3 feet at the par-3 12th hole and he moves to 4 under.

• • •

No. 8, Par 4, 416 yards

Another one-putt for Tiger (that is six, for those that are counting) and he gets to a short par 4 that he should be able to attack.

• Off the tee: Tiger takes long iron off the tee again and splits the fairway. He is 6 of 6 in fairways hit thus far on Thursday.

• Approach shot: With 175 yards left to the front-left pin, Tiger aims at the middle and lands nicely, giving himself about 20 feet right of the flag for birdie.

• On the green: With a little right-to-left action, Tiger gives it enough juice, but it slides by on the left and he two-putts for par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 8 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Adam Scott birdies the par-5 11th hole to get to 3 under, one off the lead. Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell birdies Nos. 8 and 9 ahead of Tiger and gets to 3 under.

• • •

No. 7, Par 5, 592 yards

That’s five one-putts for Tiger in the first six holes, and that will always go a long way in a major championship.

• Off the tee: Tiger doesn’t seem to like his tee ball, but it runs up the left side of the fairway and leaves himself about 270 yards into the green.

• Second shot: After backing off a pair of times, Tiger fails to hit the green in two, but leaves himself an easy chip to the pin from left of the front of the green.

• Approach shot: Tiger chips to about 18 inches, taking it right over a greenside bunker, hitting just on the green and the ball picked up eyes for the hole.

• On the green: He taps in for another birdie and re-takes a one-shot lead over Bubba Watson.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under (thru 7 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Bubba Watson birdied Nos. 7 and 8 ahead of Tiger and moves to 3 under. Zach Johnson makes the turn at 2 under, picking up a birdie at the par-4 9th hole. Meanwhile, Adilson da Silva and Matthew Baldwin are the first players to get into the clubhouse in red figures, polishing off a 1-under 69s.

• • •

No. 6, Par 4, 492 yards

While it wasn’t difficult scrambling, Tiger has pulled off a pair of nice up-and-downs at Nos. 3 and 5 to allow his birdies at Nos. 1 and 4 to stand up.

• Off the tee: Despite the length at the par 4, Tiger chooses to take long iron and plays a low shot that runs up the left side of the fairway and sets himself up nicely to attack the green.

• Approach shot: With 5-iron in hand and 225 yards left, Tiger immediately starts staring down his shot and it is a good one, hitting in the middle of the green and running to about 15 feet under the hole for birdie.

• On the green: Buries it again for birdie, taking on the course’s toughest hole with a clear game plan to use long iron twice to get into the green and rely on his putter. He takes the outright lead by a stroke heading to his first par 5.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under (thru 6 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Brazil’s Adilson da Silva has moved to 1 under thru 17 holes to sit two shots off Tiger Woods’ lead.

• • •

No. 5, Par 3, 219 yards

A nice start for Tiger over the first four holes, with two nice putts to help him get into a tie for the lead at 2 under.

• Off the tee: With bunkers lining the left, going right is the smart play here. Tiger does that, but the ball skirts a bit too far right and runs off the green and just into the first cut of rough. He’ll have another uphill pitch like at No. 3, but this one will be a bit longer.

• Around the green: Tiger has nice touch early, playing this pitch to about four feet under the hole, leaving himself an uphill putt for par.

• On the green: After a bit of studying, Tiger knocks in the par putt to stay tied for the lead.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under (thru 5 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Adam Scott has moved to 2 under after a birdie at the par-5 7th hole.

• • •

No. 4, Par 4, 392 yards

Despite a missed green, Tiger looked under tremendous control at the third hole, and now gets to a short par 4 that he should be able to attack.

• Off the tee: Tiger uses less-than-driver off the tee and splits the fairway again, setting himself up nicely for his approach.

• Approach shot: With a little more than 155 yards left to the back pin, Tiger chooses to attack it and lands nicely on the right side of the green, leaving himself about 20 feet for birdie.

• On the green: And he drains it. With a firm rap, the ball slides in from the let and he walks it in, giving a modest smile to the crowd as he moves into a tie for the lead.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under (thru 4 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Bubba Watson birdies the par-4 5th hole to join eight others in red figures. Adam Scott, Jason Dufner, Ian Poulter and Charl Schwartzel have also joined that group at 1 under. Early leader Jeev Milkha Singh drops back to even par after a double-bogey at the 13th hole.

• • •

No. 3, Par 4, 478 yards

Tiger definitely wasn’t happy with that read on his birdie putt on No. 2, but he’ll take two-putts for par at an Open Championship. he steps up to another lengthy par 4.

• Off the tee: With fairway metal in hand, Tiger plays another cut and sends it right up the gut of the fairway, avoiding any bunker disaster to the left or right.

• Approach shot: After Rose and Garcia went left and had to just simply advance it down the fairway from the long rough, Tiger takes 7-iron from about 195 yards and the ball moves a little too far to the left and rolls off the green, where he’ll have an uphill chip.

• Around the green: Tiger makes the pitch look easy, nearly holing out and leaving it about eight inches to the right of the cup. He taps in for par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under (thru 3 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Graeme McDowell makes a nice birdie from off the green at the par-4 3rd hole to get to 1 under, one of six players in red figures. Meanwhile, Jeev Milkha Singh drops a shot at the 12th hole to fall back to 2 under, one shot behind Paul Lawrie.

• • •

No. 2, Par 4, 481 yards

That is always a nice way to start a major, picking up a birdie on a putt outside of 10 feet.

• Off the tee: Tiger pulls driver and plays a cut, even choking up a bit on the club and sends it up the left side of the fairway, in perfect position into the lengthy par 4.

• Approach shot: Tiger lofts it well into the air and acts as though he doesn’t like it all that much, but lands on the green and gives himself about 25 feet for birdie from behind the hole.

• On the green: Tiger doesn’t find the right read on this putt, although he does play the proper pace, leaving it about two feet to the right of the hole. He knocks that in for a par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under (thru 2 holes)

• Elsewhere on the course: Jeev Milkha Singh has joined Paul Lawrie at 3 under with a nice birdie at the par-5 11th, while Lee Westwood picked up double bogey at the par-4 3rd hole to fall back to even par. Meanwhile, Adilson da Silva of Brazil is hanging tough, sitting at even par thru 13 holes and is currently T-5.

• • •

No. 1, Par 3, 205 yards

Tiger steps up to the first tee wearing an all-cream look with a pink shirt poking through the top of his sweater. Tiger spent a lot of time on the putting green prior to making the trip over to the first tee.

• Off the tee: Playing first, Tiger holds his follow-through and takes dead aim at the flag, landing it about 16 feet short of the flag and it runs to about 12 feet out, which he’ll have for an opening birdie.

• On the green: After Justin Rose gives him a great read on the putt, Tiger slides in his birdie attempt, with the ball hitting the left edge and falling in.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under (thru 1 hole)

• Elsewhere on the course: Lee Westwood has started birdie-birdie after draining a 15-footer at No. 2 to get to within a shot of Paul Lawrie’s early lead.

• • •

Update #6: 4:39 a.m. EDT

Paul Lawrie has run off three consecutive birdies at Nos. 3 thru 5 to get to 3 under, making a bomb at No. 5 to take the early outright lead.

Ernie Els has also moved into red numbers with a birdie at No. 2.

• • •

Update #5: 4:32 a.m. EDT

Lee Westwood is off to a quick start after a beautiful tee ball off the first tee, taking it right over a greenside bunker and kicking to about five feet left of the hole. He drained the putt to move to within a shot of the lead at 1 under. Paul Lawrie and Jeev Milkha Singh are the only other players under par at the moment, both at 2 under.

• • •

Update #4: 4:22 a.m. EDT

Ben Crane is probably kicking himself for not making the trip to Royal Lytham as the first alternate, as Russ Cochran has withdrawn from the tournament, giving second-alternate Michael Thompson a spot in the 6:53 a.m. pairing.

Thompson made noise at the U.S. Open in June, holding the 18-hole lead and making a nice run on Sunday to get a top-5 finish.

• • •

Update #3: 4:17 a.m. EDT

Defending champ Darren Clarke is on the course with Zach Johnson and Ernie Els, having just teed off at the par-3 1st hole.

There are now only three players in red figures, all of them at 1 under, including Jeev Mikha Singh.

Update #2: 3:52 a.m. EDT

We wouldn’t want to be a forecaster in England this “summer” – as early predictions of some sun and little chance of rain on Thursday at Lytham has given way to rain pants and some serious mud. It’s going to be a grind to get through the conditions, much less the course.

As for those already playing, it isn’t getting any better for American James Driscoll, who is now 9 over thru nine holes. Meanwhile, there are four players in red figures, with Jeev Milkha Singh still sitting at 2 under (thru 6 holes), while Thongchai Jaidee (thru 5), Miguel Angel Jimenez (thru 4) and Rafael Cabrera-Bello (thru 2) are at 1 under. 2001 Open champ David Duval is even thru four holes.

• • •

Update #1: 3:25 a.m. EDT

The first group is nearing the turn, with varying levels of success at Royal Lytham thus far.

James Driscoll – in the first group off the tee – is 6 over thru 7 holes, while Scottish Open champ Jeev Milkha Singh continues his hot play, sitting atop the leaderboard at 2 under while playing the fifth hole.

• • •

Preview coverage: Wednesday

• Let the chase begin: Wednesday at the Open Championship featured a few side bets, some hearty laughs, plenty of languages and some sun – yes, some sun. Now, it’s time to get after that Claret Jug. Story.

• At peace: During a 45-minute session with the media on Wednesday at the Open Championship, David Duval was so well-spoken and relaxed that he resembled a veteran politician or lawyer. Story.

• Did you know? In preparation for the 141st Open Championship, which begins here along the Lancashire Coast of England on Thursday, here are 10 things you might not know about Royal Lytham. Story.

• Getting the job done: If the main job of Open courses is to identify major champions, then give Royal Lytham & St. Annes an A-plus. Story.

• Royal disappointment: The Irish Open started the buzz around Royal Portrush hosting an Open Championship. R&A chief executive Peter Dawson pretty much put that thought to rest after his annual press conference. Story.

• Notebook: Weather will wreak havoc on Wednesday with rain in the forecast, but Thursday is looking more promising, with only a 10 percent chance of precipitation. Notes.

• • •

Preview coverage: Tuesday

• Predictable? Our staff of experts have made their final picks for the 2012 Open Championship, with Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington all popular choices. Predictions.

• Notebook: With wet fairways a reality, players such as Ernie Els are choosing to replace hybrids and 5-woods with long irons at Royal Lytham. Notes.

• Misery loves company: Driving rain, hip-high rough and the pressure of a major championship – it is the players sign up for at the Open Championship, and they embrace it with a smile on their collective faces. Story.

• Odds in his favor? Only four years ago, it seemed Padraig Harrington was destined to win plenty of majors. He then fell off the success map, only to reappear in 2012 and is a legitimate contender at Royal Lytham. Story.

• Back on track: One year after fading at the Open Championship and blaming the weather, Rory McIlroy says he has grown from the experience and has regained his form. Story.

• Royal Lytham snapshots: The Golfweek trip across the pond has been telling in who takes home the Claret Jug come Sunday. Who is sitting pretty this year? Blog.

• Matter of mindset: With both players looking to snap major droughts – Tiger Woods at four years and Lee Westwood at career-long – both players are taking polar opposite attitudes into this week’s Open Championship. Story.

• Toughest drive: The longest drive at Royal Lytham is the route for your correspondent simply to get to the golf course. Story.

• Maginnes On Tap: Once commonly referred to as the British Open in the U.S., it is now easy to see why it is rightly called the Open Championship. Story.